Streaming round-up – March 2023

by IDOL
News
28.03.23
Every month, this section offers a summary of the latest news about the main streaming platforms, in particular the latest features offered by Apple Music, Deezer, TikTok, Snapchat…

First things first, the IFPI just released its report. The global recorded music industry revenues are up 9% to reach $26.2 billion in 2022, driven by premium streaming revenues. More info on Music Week.

Economy

Amazon
Amazon confirms a new round of layoffs, impacting 9,000 employees at Twitch and AWS, among other subsidiaries. More info on TechCrunch.

Anghami
Streaming platform Anghami is being sued for copyright infringement by Reservoir and PopArabia. More info on Billboard.

Apple Music
The European Commission is focusing its investigation on Apple’s anti-competitive practices vis-à-vis music streaming platforms. More info on Music Ally.

Deezer
Deezer’s revenues rose 13% thanks to partnerships and lower marketing expenses. More info on Billboard. Universal Music partners with Deezer to develop a new revenue model for artists. More info on Music Week. The platform’s CEO is reportedly looking for more flexibility in compensation. More info on Billboard.

Labelcamp
Republic Of Music signs a deal with distribution platform Labelcamp. More info on Music Week.

Meta
Mark Zuckerberg to lay off 10,000 people at Meta. More info on BBC News.

Spotify
Spotify has passed the 500 million user mark and announced that it has paid out $40 billion to rights holders. More info on Music Week. Spotify has expanded access to its Discovery Mode program via Spotify for Artists. More info on Billboard. Bollywood songs from the Zee Music catalog have been removed from the platform due to a lack of agreement. More info on Music Ally.

Tidal
Tidal is ending its direct payment system for artists and has announced that it is devoting more budget to emerging artists. More info on Complete Music Update.

TikTok
The House of Representatives approves a bill that could lead to a total ban on TikTok in the US. More info on Music Business Worldwide. The US government has even asked Bytedance to sell TikTok to avoid a ban. More info on Complete Music Update. The UK joins the bandwagon and bans the app on government devices. More info on Tech Crunch. TikTok’s CEO testified before Congress to defend against its ban in the US. More info on Billboard.
On the other hand, by removing songs from its catalog in Australia, TikTok has lost customers. More info on Bloomberg.

Twitter
Twitter’s licensing negotiations with the three majors are on hold since Elon Musk’s takeover. More info on Music Business Worldwide. Twitter takes legal action over its source code leaking online. More info on The Guardian.

New Features

Apple Music
Apple Music has launched its dedicated Classical music app for a better audio experience. More info on Music Week.

Audius
Audius adds a new NFT-gated feature for songs and mixes. More info on Music Ally.

Beatport
Beatport has teamed up with blockchain platform Polkadot to launch an NFT marketplace dedicated to electronic music. More info on Music Week.

Discord
Discord updates its bot with ChatGPT-like features. More info on TechCrunch.

Instagram
Instagram introduces ads in search results and launches “Reminder Ads”. More info on TechCrunch.

Meta
Meta discontinues its Reel monetisation program and develops a new ad revenue sharing system. More info on Social Media Today. Meta drops NFT for Facebook and Instagram. More info on The Verge. In return, Meta is working on a new autonomous and decentralized social network. More info on TechCrunch.

Qobuz
Qobuz launches Qobuz Club: an exclusive community for audiophiles and music lovers. More info on The Absolute Sound.

Reddit
Reddit develops new features with a TikTok-like video feed. More info on The Verge.

Snapchat
Snapchat launches new Sounds features to make it easier to create content. More info on TechCrunch. The social network offers a “My AI” chatbot powered by ChatGPT. More info on The Verge.

Soundcloud
SoundCloud is testing a TikTok-like feed to help music discovery. More info on Tech Crunch.

Spotify
At its Stream On event, Spotify unveiled a TikTok-like vertical homepage. More info on Billboard. The platform doubles its short-form video content with a new “Clips” feature. More info on Music Business Worldwide. The long-awaited pre-save feature has arrived, with new “countdown pages”. More info on Billboard. Finally, the heart icon has been replaced by a new dual-action “plus” button. More info on The Verge.

TikTok
The partnership between Audius and TikTok extends to login and profile verification for artists. More info on Music Ally. TikTok introduces paywall content to the platform, with videos up to 20 minutes long. More info on The Verge.

Twitter
Twitter will remove the old blue badges from next month. More info on Complete Music Update.

YouTube
YouTube Music is expanding podcasts on its platform. More info on The Verge. AI-based startup Aimi launches 10 music channels on YouTube. More info on Music Ally. YouTube Music to add album credits. More info on Digital Music News.

Socially responsible initiatives

The European Alliance of Music Managers launches the EMMpower programme. More info on Music Week.
Deezer reveals that only 23% of its Top-100 artists are women and launches a new channel: ‘Women’s Impact’. More info on Music Ally.

Going further
Read more articles
See all